By Walter Elliott
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD – Participating registered voters in both towns here will likely be installing a new trio of South Orange-Maplewood School District Board of Education on their Nov. 7 General Election Ballot.
Liz Callahan, of Maplewood, plus South Orange villagers Shayma Sackett-Gable and Will Meyer are running together on a common, nonpartisan ticket. They, barring an unanticipated write-in candidacy, are to succeed three incumbents who have declined re-election.
Incumbents Johanna Wright, Elisa Malespina and Courtney Winkfield are not running again. Wright, a nine-year former incumbent, was appointed earlier this year to fulfill the resigned Susan Bergin’s unexpired term.
They are among the usual annual more candidates than board of education seats among at least five public school district ballots. One district this year, due to this year’s cycle, is literally “one person, one vote.”
The candidates, who have all filed their petitions before 4 p.m. July 31, have passed the local school district and Essex County Clerk and Elections Board signature verification muster.
There is, however, an Aug. 29 deadline for any candidates to withdraw from the ballot.
WEST ORANGE – While the other have multiple candidates vying for three board seats Nov. 7, the West Prange Public Schools District has only one of its own five Board of Education seats open this year.
Incumbent Melinda Huertas is seeking her second straight school board term.
BLOOMFIELD – Incumbents Kasey Dudley and Nadiesha Greene are vying to keep their seats against challengers Jefferson Ramos, Sandra Tufaro-Sarapolus, Pedro Antonio Gongora and Stephanie Perry. One of the four challengers is to succeed an open incumbent’s seat.
MONTCLAIR – The Montclair Board of Education, midway through its tradition from a mayor-appointed to a voter-elected board, has two incumbents pitted against seven challengers.
A majority of participating Montclair voters selected Phaedra Dunn and Melanie Deysher to a pair of partial terms. They and challengers Alex Binkley, Stuart Ball, Kimberly Robinson Santos, Allison Silverstein, Will Novak, Jessica Glass, Theodore Graham are now vying for three full three-year terms.
BELLEVILLE – Two of the Belleville Board of Education Trustee incumbents are facing six challengers for three seats.
Erika V. Jacho and Nelson Berra are seeking re-election while single-termer Frank Velez has declined. Lissa Missaggia, Kenia Nicole Arroyuabe, Ruben A. Rodriguez, Esteban M. Leon, Brenda Pachero and Michael Sheldon are challenging.
NUTLEY – Four candidates – incumbents Steve Balsamo, Lisa Danchak-Martin and Salvatore Ferraro and challenger Stephen Gilberti – are seeking three seats.
Queries on who will be on the respective Orange and Glen Ridge ballots were not returned before press time.
The above said nonpartisan school board elections will occupy a separate place on the voting machine and Vote by Mail ballots.
All 120 New Jersey State Legislature seats and all nine Essex County Commissioner seats are up for grabs. Voters also have to decide who will be Essex County Surrogate, on four East Orange and three Bloomfield council ward seats plus two of Maplewood Township Committee’s seats.
Prospective voters have until the end of business Oct. 17 to register or transfer their registrations with Essex County. Oct. 31 is the last day to apply by mail for a Vote by Mail Ballot. Details are found at essexclerk.com.
